This blog is for all those who have worked with or for me over the last forty years in Santa Barbara.
I have had the pleasure of living and working in Santa Barbara since July of 1981. During that time I have managed kitchens at the Olive Mill Bistro (1981-1994), my restaurant Michael’s Waterside (1984-1993), The Santa Barbara Polo Club (1992-1995), the Burnham Wood Golf Club (2001-2003) and Michael’s Catering (2003-2020).
I cannot begin to calculate how many people I have cooked for, most likely in the hundreds of thousands. From countless restaurant meals to cocktail receptions, gala dinners, private cooking classes, charitable donations, the numbers are immense.
One important, that is, very important part of my success I have enjoyed in Santa Barbara, is the thousands of servers, buses, cashiers, hostesses, dishwashers, cooks, and chefs who have worked beside me over these forty-some years. Besides the millions in payroll, there remains a legacy of people imbued with the vision of quality cuisine and service.
I want to extend my deepest thanks to those who have labored with me serving the citizens in Santa Barbara. I am retiring now and moving to Charleston, South Carolina. No doubt I will still be cooking, learning and enjoying a profession that has been very engaging for some fifty years.
A heartfelt thanks to all those who have been part of the journey.
Every year, Santa Barbara hosts an Old Spanish Days celebration. We are delighted to have filmed an episode of The Inn Crowd at the Covarrubias Adobe in Santa Barbara to showcase the event. La Presidenta Denise Sanford and director David Bolton are guests in this episode. I have recreated a luncheon based on the old Hacienda style of cooking prevalent in the early to mid-1800s. The food style is influenced by Spanish traditions blended with indigenous ingredients.
We filmed at the historical Covarrubias Adobe with guests in period costumes. The Covarrubias adobe, at 715 Santa Barbara Street, is one of the oldest buildings in the city. Unlike many of the historic adobes in Santa Barbara, the Covarrubias Adobe is not named after its original owner. Domingo Antonio Ignacio Carrillo had the home built in 1817 for his wife, Concepción Pico Carrillo. The adobe later became known as the Covarrubias adobe after José María Covarrubias, who married into the Carrillo family. Visit the website for more details about this historic adobe.
Chef Michael Hutchings
Old Spanish Days in Santa Barbara, Inc. is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit corporation dedicated to honoring and preserving Santa Barbara’s history, spirit, culture, heritage, and traditions. This 90-year-old organization produces an annual eight-day festival -- Fiesta -- that is widely regarded as Santa Barbara’s premier festival.
Old Spanish Days Fiesta is unique among festivals, both local and national, in that it is run primarily by a volunteer Board of Directors and supported by only one year-round staff member. The 35 Directors and 25 Associate Directors represent a broad cross-section of the community. The Board of Directors annually selects a Presidente or Presidenta who not only presides over the Board but also serves as an ambassador of goodwill to residents and visitors alike. The President has the honor of choosing a theme for his/her year and the design of the annual poster and pin.
Old Spanish Days Fiesta is a beloved Santa Barbara tradition that has continued for nearly 90 years. It fosters a unique spirit among locals as an important coming together which encourages community cooperation, celebration, and growth. The festival has grown due to the overwhelming interest of many different organizations to develop and maintain it as an extension and expression of their place in the community. Visitors are also able to experience this historical spirit of Santa Barbara when they watch and join the city and its residents in Fiesta celebrations.
The annual event provides an education to residents and visitors about the history, customs, and traditions of the American Indian, Spanish, Mexican, and early American settlers that comprise the rich cultural heritage of Santa Barbara. Old Spanish Days Fiesta is not only a unique forum for the cultural expression of our spirit and diversity, but also provides a vehicle for the non-profit and community service groups to raise funds for local charities and social service organizations.
Old Spanish Days Fiesta has grown in stature and reputation to become one of the top regional festivals in the United States. The event annually draws thousands of visitors from around the world. Fiesta performers come from around the nation and Mexico to participate. Celebrities of international renown who have participated or performed in Fiesta include Leo Carrillo, Will Rogers, Shirley Temple, Charles Lindberg, William Randolph Hearst, Don Wilson, Paul Whitman, and Delores Del Rio.
La Presidenta Denise Sanford, Chef Michael Hutchings
David Bolton, Chef Michael Hutchings
Photo Michael Hutchings
Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce
Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce
A special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great fruits, vegetables, and dairy products for our show!
All recipes copyright 2018 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved
Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions unless otherwise noted.
Join host Craig Case and Chef Michael Hutchings for another delicious episode of The Inn Crowd. We are delighted to welcome Sheriff Bill Brown to The Inn Crowd cooking show.
Bill Brown has served as Santa Barbara County’s Sheriff-Coroner for more than a decade now. He was first elected on November 7, 2006, re-elected to a second term in June 2010, and re-elected again to a third term in June 2014.
Sheriff Brown began his law enforcement career in 1977 with the Pacifica Police Department in the San Francisco Bay area. In 1980, he transferred to the Inglewood Police Department. He served that Los Angeles County community until 1992 when he was selected as chief of police for the City of Moscow in Idaho. In that position, he was responsible for overseeing police operations for both the City of Moscow and the University of Idaho. In 1995, Brown was selected as chief of police for the City of Lompoc, is only the eighth person to hold the title of police chief in that community since it incorporated in 1899. He led the Lompoc Police Department for the next 11 years until being elected to his present office.
Sheriff Bill Brown, Chef Michael, Host Craig Case
The menu for this episode starts with a medley of spring vegetables layered with herb-stuffed pasta sheets and a drizzle of a fava bean pesto. The entree is a riff on a Hubert Keller's market fish with peppers and olive, very Mediterranean. The dessert course is the famous "Berliner" from Germany. The dish is best described as a brioche-like dough that is deep fried and filled with something sweet and delicious. We filled the Berliners with jam, lemon curd, and mascarpone cream. As an option, there is a recipe for pastry cream.
Speech from the Rathaus Schöneberg by John F. Kennedy, June 26, 1963.
Photo Wikipedia
There is a story around the Berliner and a speech given by President Kenedy when he spoke in Berlin in 1963. Legend has it that US president John F. Kennedy made a whopping grammatical gaffe with his iconic declaration “Ich bin ein Berliner” 50 years ago on Wednesday, essentially telling his audience — and the world — “I am a jam doughnut”. Lucky Germans.
View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the airtime may vary to as late as 9:30 during the sports season. You may view the show online at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.
Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven, and get cooking. I'll provide the recipes; the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce
Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce
A special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great fruits, vegetables, and dairy products for our show!
All recipes copyright 2017 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved
Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions unless otherwise noted.
Join host Craig Case and Chef Michael Hutchings for another delicious episode of The Inn Crowd. In this episode, we are the YMCA's Noah's Anchorage Reaching for the Stars Gala. We are delighted to welcome Gerd and Pete Jordano to The Inn Crowd cooking show kitchen. The Jordano's are longtime supporters of the YMCA's Noah's Anchorage program. Chef Michael teamed up with Chef Eric Widmer of the La Cumbre Country Club for this multi-course, multi-chef gala dinner. Here is the roster of participating chefs. See the menus that follow for their menu contributions.
Stephane Rapp-Santa Barbara City College
Sybille Kroemer
Carla Romero
Mike Blackwell-Hilton Garden
Mossin Sugich-Santa Barbara Yacht Club
Eric Widmer-La Cumbre Country Club
Michael Hutchings-Michael's Catering
Randy Bublitz-Santa Barbara City College
Greg Murphy-Bouchon
Brandon Cogan-Wine Cask
Vincent Vanhecke-Organizing Chef
Pete Clements-Pete Clements Catering
Christine Dahl-Christine Dahl Pastries
Jean Michel Carré-Chocolate CaliBresson
Jessica Foster-Jessica Foster Confections
Noah’s Anchorage Youth Crisis Shelter is a licensed residential eight-bed group home for children 10-17 years old and provides outreach to youth and young adults. Our unique services have been active in the Santa Barbara community for over 35 years and provide a trusted refuge and resource for youth and their families.
Temporary shelter and basic need
Crisis intervention, resolution, and support services
Counseling for youth and families
Workshops and therapeutic groups on youth issues
“Cooling off” periods
Individualized support services
24-hour toll-free hotline
Linkage to community referrals
View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the airtime may vary to as late as 9:30 during the sports season. You may view the show online at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.
Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven, and get cooking. I'll provide the recipes; the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
Christine Dahl, Jean Michel Carré, Jessica Foster, Michael Hutchings
Sal Cisneros- President and CEO Channel Islands YMCA, Craig Case Host
Vincent Vanhecke, Michael Hutchings, Pete Clements
Michael Hutchings, Randy Bublitz
Michael Hutchings, Mike Blackwell, Mossin Sugich
Pete and Gerd Jordano, Craig Case
Valerie Kissell- Executive Director, Youth and Family Services YMCA, Craig Case
Gerd and Pete Jordano, Chef Michael, Craig Case
Lamb Wellington-Scallops on Forbidden Rice
Chef's Note
At the gala, Chef Eric Made a Salmon Wellington in a similar manner.
Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce
Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce
A special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!
All recipes copyright 2017 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved
Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions unless otherwise noted.
Join host Craig Case and Chef Michael Hutchings for another delicious episode of The Inn Crowd. We are delighted to welcome retired Fire Chief Pat McElroy to The Inn Crowd cooking show. McElroy's career as a firefighter has taken him to work in incidents throughout the country, including Hurricane Katrina, the Northridge Earthquake, and other major historical fires throughout the West Coast and Santa Barbara County.
About the Fire Department
The City of Santa Barbara (SBFD) has operated continuously since 1881. SBFD provides the response to all-risk emergencies to an average daily population of 123,000 people (90,000 residents plus visitors) within the 23 square mile City jurisdiction.
The department consists of 3 divisions: Administration, Operations, and Training, and Fire Prevention, staffed by 105 employees. 90 firefighters are assigned to the Operations Division, providing emergency response to the community 24 hours a day, 365 days a year from 8 different station locations. Special response capabilities include Hazardous Materials, Water Rescue, and Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF).
The menu for this episode starts with a Seafood "Crudo." Local rockfish and salmon fillet are accented with a lemon-fennel marinade and an array of tasty garnishes. For the main course, we have prepared a Q&D version of gnocchi called "Malfatti," which is to say poorly made, but tasty. The pasta dish would also serve as a foil for grilled check breast or pork cutlets. Dessert is another Q&D recipe, a version of Tiramisu that features those delicious Italian Amaretti cookies.
Pat McElroy, Chef Michael Hutchings. Host Craig Case
View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the airtime may vary to as late as 9:30 during the sports season. You may view the show online at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.
Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven, and get cooking. I'll provide the recipes; the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce
Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce
A special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!
All recipes copyright 2017 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved
Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions unless otherwise noted.
Chef Michael, Dan Burnham, Meg Burnham, Host Craig Case
There is a French culinary term Haute Cuisine that translates as High Cooking. This style of cooking is not cannabis cuisine but refers to the Grande cuisine of "high level" establishments, gourmet restaurants and luxury hotels. Haute cuisine is characterized by meticulous preparation and careful presentation of food, at a high price level.
In this episode, it's a double entendre, and the food style is elevated in execution and done on the top floor of the highest building in Santa Barbara!
I am cooking a Monte Carlo style Salad Niçoise as devised by Chef Alain Ducasse. As always, I have my spin on the dish. Since it is spring, I start with a soup duette course comprised of a watercress and leek soups. Dessert is a playful dish I call a "French Taco."
View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the airtime may vary to as late as 9:30 during the sports season. You may view the show online at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.
Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven and get cooking. I'll provide the recipes; the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen, atop the penthouse.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce
Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce
A special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!
All recipes copyright 2017 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved
Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions, unless otherwise noted.
Melissa Mahan, Chef Michael Hutchings, Host Craig Case
If I had not gone the route of mastering the art of French cooking, I would have gone Italian. Italians have played an important part in my education. First, there was Ricardo Marino, our high school band teacher. He taught about life as well and fired my interest in music such that music was my major in college. Then there was my history teacher, Mr. DiCarlo. History was not the least of what he guided the students on. Mostly there was Dominick Laruccia. Dominick was a brilliant person having excelled in music performance (Carnegie Hall at 18), metal sculpting and organic chemistry (Berkley). Working for him was like getting a masters degree in life.
In that Italian vein, I have cooked an Italian "Saluto" to those descendants from the boot. We start with Pasta et Fagioli soup topped with a seared sea scallops. The dish hails from the fabled Grand Central Oyster Bar in New York City. The soup is a worthy dish on its own, and the scallops are a nice bonus. Be sure and get large dry-pack scallops. They cost more but are worth the price. The main dish of lamb chops was my Italnesque version of a French recipe. A pâté-like lamb is cooked in a mold and served with braised fennel. Finally, the dessert is a ricotta and pear mouse layered with a hazelnut meringue. Buono Appetito!
View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the airtime may vary as late as 9:30 during the sports season. You may view the show online at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.
Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven and get on your bib apron. I'll provide the recipes, and the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the airtime may vary to as late as 9:30 during the sports season. You may view the show online at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.
Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven and get on your apron. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce
Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce
A special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!
All recipes copyright 2017 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved
Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions unless otherwise noted.
I am preparing an abalone tasting this week for a local organization. My usual default sauce is a beurre blanc with enoki mushrooms, dill, and fresh tomato. I am going to shake it up a bit and do a red wine butter sauce and set the abalone on a nest of forbidden rice. The abalone are raised on a farm by The Cultured Abalone. Dough Bush is the marine biologist in charge of the farm. They raise the red abalone as it has proven to be the best of the local species. Here is a link for abalone preparation that I made for The Cultured Abalone Farm a few years back.
Notes from Wikipedia: Haliotis rufescens (red abalone) is a species of very large edible sea snail in the family Haliotidae, the abalones, ormer shells or paua. It is distributed from British Columbia, Canada, to Baja California, Mexico. It is most common in the southern half of its range.
Red abalone is the largest and most common abalone found in the northern part of the state of California, and it is the only species of abalone still legally harvested there, though on a restricted basis.Habitat
Red abalone live in rocky areas with kelp. They feed on the kelp species that grow in their home range, including giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera), feather boa kelp (Egregia menziesii), and bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana). Juveniles eat coralline algae, bacteria, and diatoms. They are found from the intertidal zone to water more than 180 m (590 ft) deep but are most common between 6 and 40 m (20 and 131 ft).
PRESS RELEASE Reaching for Stars: Top Chef/Winemaker Dinner Benefits At-Risk Teens SANTA BARBARA, California–January 22, 2018–One night a year, top chefs team up to create the spectacular Reaching for Stars 5-course dinner to benefit local at-risk and homeless youth. This year, on Thursday, April 26th at the Santa Barbara Women’s Club, the program will be enhanced with premium wines from Brander, Alma Rosa, Babcock, Flying Goat Cellars, Buscador, and Lumen specifically paired to the culinary creations. Winemakers will also pour from their portfolios in a pre-dinner tasting. Reaching for Stars is the principal fundraiser for Youth & Family Services (YFS), the social branch of the Channel Islands YMCA. YFS comprises Noah’s Anchorage Youth Crisis Shelter–a licensed shelter for teens; My Home–providing housing for transitional age young adults; Support and Outreach Services–assisting homeless teens and those in risk of losing their housing, and the St. George Youth Center–providing after-school enrichment and support. Executive Chef Vincent Vanhecke has been leading the chef team for 14 years. His passion for helping kids comes from his heart and his history: “Supporting Reaching for Stars and YFS is important to me because it shows that the community cares about kids who are at risk and who have had a harsh upbringing. It is important to let them know that they are not different, that there is hope, and that many of us have been able to come out of these situations successfully.” His generous donation of his time and considerable talent has been matched with his top-chef team including chefs from the Wine Cask, the Yacht Club, La Cumbre Country Club, Michael’s Catering, Christine Dahl Pastries, Chocolats du CaliBressan, Bouchon, Sly’s, the University Club, SBCCS’s School of Culinary Arts and the culinary students of the same. This year’s menu will be accompanied by carefully curated regional wine pairings. Tama Takahashi of Inside Wine Santa Barbara has also selected vintners to participate in the wine tasting that will greet attendees as they arrive at the event. Takahashi volunteered her services after attending the event for several years, “Twice I’ve had the good fortune to be seated next to the keynote speaker–who is always one of the teens who have been helped by YFS. Hearing the personal story of a young person taken out of danger and mentored toward college has been profoundly moving and inspirational.” Valerie Kissell, Executive Director for YFS, comments on the challenges facing our youth. “We know that youth are extremely vulnerable when faced with trauma or adversity in their formative years and the support provided by programs, such as YFS, with consistent, caring adults can strengthen resiliency and the improve the prospect of future success.” Tickets for the event are $250 and include the winemaker tasting, 5-course gourmet wine-paired dinner, and a souvenir wine glass. A limited number of table sponsorships from $1,000 - $10,000 are available to support YFS programs. Please visit https://santabarbaracountyys.org/give/reachingforstars2018.html to purchase tickets or for more information. You are also invited to contact YFS Executive Director Valerie Kissell directly at (805) 569-1103 x 32.
Noah’s Anchorage 2018.
5:30 PM April 26
Rockwood Women’s Club
Santa Barbara
HD’s Station:
Wineries pouring
Miniature Crab Cakes with Aioli garnished with Green Onion
Tuna Tartare on ruffled Potato Chips
Polenta mini Crostini with Mushroom Ragu
Vegetable Gazpacho served in demi tasse
Stephane Rapp and Students (SBCC)
Sybille Kroemer
Carla Romero
1st Course:
Alma Rosa 2015 Jabali' Chardonnay
Spring Bounty Dégustation
Spring Onion flan, Pickled Ramp, English Pea Puree, Candied Vadouvan Pistachio, Black Olive crumble, Green Garlic Crisps, Pea Tendril
Mike Blackwell (Hilton Garden Inn)
Mossin Sugish (Santa Barbara Yacht Club)
Fish Course:
Babcock Pinot Noir
Salmon Wellington with Savoy Cabbage and Apple Wood Smoked Bacon and Sea Scallop served with Forbidden Black Rice and a Beurre Rouge Sauce
Eric Widmer (La Cumbre Country Club)
Michael Hutchings (Michael’s Catering)
Main Course:
Buscador 2015 WaveSlider Syrah/Petit Sirah
Brander 2016 Cuvee Nicholas Sauvignon Blanc
Syrah-braised Bison Short Rib, Mushroom dusted Bone Marrow and
Wild Boar Shank Crepinette with braised Shiitakes and Spring Shallots
Randy Bublitz and students (SBCC)
Greg Murphy (Bouchon)
Brandon Cogan (Wine Cask)
Cheese:
Lumen 2015 Pinot, SM Valley
Fontina, Reggiano, Salsiccia and Artichoke Tart with petite red veined Sorrel, edible Calendula flowers, and Popcorn shoots
Eureka! I found it! The yellow mushroom gold has been scarce in Santa Barbara these past few drought-affected years. I found this lonesome, solitary chanterelle two days ago. It wound up on a sauteed breast of chicken.
I will be on a break for a few days. We are going to Yountville to dine at The French Laundry. I will catch up on Inn Crowd posts after my return and tell you about dinner at the Laundry.
In 1977, I abandoned my career in music for a career in the culinary world. I had been in the kitchen in various capacities for over six years by thent. At that time, there were several chefs in the world that loomed large in my thinking: Agustus Escoffier, Ferdinand Point, Michel Guerard, Les Freres Troisgros, Michel Blanchet, Gastone Lenotre, Henré Soulé and the ambassador of French Cuisine, Chef Paul Bocuse. I became aware of Chef Bocuse when I was sous chef for Chef James Sly at the Studio City restaurant called La Serre. We were cooking what we thought of as modern French cuisine as chef Sly had recently returned from France and had worked with Michel Guerard, one of the proponents of Nouvelle Cuisine. It was at that time I decided to go to France to accelerate my knowledge of French Cuisine and was trying to make a connection in France to secure a position.
Robert Mondavi promoted a series of events at his winery in Napa call The Great Chefs of France. The ideas were to promote French Cuisine and American wines. It was at that time the American was awakening to the modern cuisine movement in France called Nouvelle Cuisine. In Los Angeles, a forward-thinking chef Jean Bertranou of L'Ermitage restaurant was bringing headliner French chefs to Los Angeles to prepare dinners. One of those dinners was headlined as the "Diner des Cent." Dinner of Hundred, so called because there were to be 100 dinner guests. Paul Bocuse and Roger Verge (Moulin de Mougins) headlined the dinner. I posted my Bocuse story in a previous blog that you may access here. In essence, I was at the feet of Chef Bocuse asking for an opportunity to work in his kitchen. Read my blog for the ironic twist that request took years later.
Chef Bocuse's style of cooking was in reality based more on the traditional French repertoire, especially around the Lyon regions of France. I have elected to prepare three dishes for this episode of The Inn Crowd. The first course calls for a fish called Rouget from the Mediterranean sea. I have used a local rock cod instead. The method for getting the potato'"scales" to adhere to the fish is very effective. The blanquette de Veau is a delicious, homey veal stew guaranteed to please. The dessert is another French classic, somewhat homey but delicious all the same.
In one of his last interviews, he was asked about a last meal. His reply was to enjoy a Pot au Feu. If possible, he said he would invite such hallowed French gastronomic as Antonin Carême, Auguste Escoffier, Fernand Point and Eugénie Brazie. They would drink condrieu and côte-rotie. “But I’d like to cheat a bit and ask them back the next day to finish the remains.”
View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the air time my vary to as late as 9:30 during the sports season. You may view the show on-line at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.
Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven and get on your apron. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce
Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce
A special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!
All recipes copyright 2017 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved
Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions, unless otherwise noted.
Not every meal is beef tenderloin, truffles, and other exotic ingredients. In today's episode, I have our producer and resident epicure, Craig Case, at my side cooking an eclectic menu of the kind of dishes I like to enjoy every day. We have a standing joke at home that we don't eat like this every day. Well. actually, we do!
We start with a grilled ahi tuna salad set on an Asian inspired avocado salad. If you do not have fresh tuna, use salmon or shrimp. The pork tenderloin ragout is another flexible dish. It also works well with chicken or lamb. Think of recipes like LEGO blocks that can be assembled into infinite dishes. We finish up with a variation of Bananas Foster. Bananas Foster hails from a restaurant in New Orleans. Here is a quote from a New Orleans web page:
"In the 1950's, New Orleans was the major port of entry for bananas shipped from Central and South America. Owen Edward Brennan challenged his talented chef, Paul Blangé, to include bananas in a new culinary creation-Owen's way of promoting the imported fruit. Simultaneously, Holiday Magazine had asked Owen to provide a new recipe to appear in a feature article on Brennan's.
In 1951, Chef Paul created Bananas Foster. The scrumptious dessert was named for Richard Foster, who, as chairman, served with Owen on the New Orleans Crime Commission, a civic effort to clean up the French Quarter. Richard Foster, the owner of the Foster Awning Company, was a frequent customer of Brennan's and a very good friend of Owen."
View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the airtime may vary as late as 9:30 during the football season. You may view the show online at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.
Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven and get on your apron. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce
Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce
Special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!
All recipes copyright 2018 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved
Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions unless otherwise noted.
A friend and great promotor of Central Coast wines passed away recently. I first met Archie at an event held by The American Insitute of Wine and Food (AIWF). He seemed like a post-beatnik, avant-garde artist at the time with his signature beret. In the mid-eighties, we had a conversation at my restaurant, Michael's Waterside, in which I mentioned an ambition to cook at the Hearst Castle. A few months later, I was invited to assist Chef Michel Richard at a Hearst Castle dinner. Afterward, I wrote to him with a three-page letter suggesting ways to improve the event. I was later invited to organize the kitchen teams and liaison with the guest chefs. I have had the pleasure of participating in Archie's signature dinner at the Hearst Castle for over 30 years.
Archie was my first guest when I began my tenure as the chef in residence for The Inn Crowd cooking show (link to first show). His erudition on wine and fine dining was a great beginning. Archie later went on to host his own show with Case Productions, Wine Country. We did several Inn Crowd shows over the course of several years including chef John Moeller, former White House chef and Steve Hearst, grandson of famed William Randolf Hearst.
Frank Ostini of Hitching Post fame and master winemaker Jim Clendennen of Au Bon Climat organized a memorial service at Jim's vineyard. It was a grand event and the only missing components were Archie and a live auction! Archie will be missed.
For the memorial, I prepared two of the many appetizers I have prepared at the Hearst Castle for the Central Coast Wine Classic. I did Potato Croquettes with truffles. It's based on a classic potato Dauphine which I married with a caramelized onion-truffle sauce. The Second offering was a potato blini-crepe. Graham C. Gaspard of Black River Caviar provided two huge tins of terrific caviar to pair with the blinis. I learned a new way of tasting caviar from Graham. He would scoop up a generous amount of caviar with the mother of pearl spoon and place it on the back of his thumb and waft it up!
View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the airtime may vary as late as 9:30 during the football season. You may view the show online at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.
Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven. I'll provide the recipes, and the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
Archie McLaren, Central Coast Wine Classic Founder & Chairman
Archie McLaren has been involved in an array of activities on the Central Coast of California since his arrival here in 1974 to represent legal publisher West Publishing Company. Originally assigned to Nevada and Central California, and later to Nevada, Alaska, and Hawaii, he became the Administrator of International Marketing for The Orient for West, representing the company in Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, China, Taiwan, Thailand and Indonesia. He retired from West Publishing Company in 1990.
During that time and following, he became no stranger to the world of fine cuisine and rare wine. He is the founding Bailli of the Central Coast Chapter of the Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs, a member of the Vintners’ Club of San Francisco, the Wine & Food Society of San Francisco, the San Francisco Chapter of the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin and the Marin County Chapter of the International Wine & Food Society. He is the former Cellarmaster of the Avila Bay Wine Society and the former President of the Central Coast Wine Society.
Archie has served as Chairman/Executive Director of both the San Luis Obispo Vintners & Growers Association for whom he is still a consultant and the Paso Robles Westside Grand Crew. He is one of only two Americans inducted into the Austrian Wine Brotherhood (His friend Brooks Firestone is the other), and one of the few Americans inducted into the Commanderie des Bontemps - Medoc et Graves & Sauternes et Barsac of Bordeaux in France.
Archie has long been associated with charitable wine auctions. Not only did he serve for many years as the American Institute of Wine & Food’s Rare & Fine Wine and Auction Consultant, where he became close friends with Julia Child, he also served as a Director on its National Board. He is the Founder & Chairman of the Central Coast Wine Classic, held in high esteem as a prestigious and comprehensive food and wine event, held each year in July and in its thirty-first year, which boasts Wine Spectator among its many significant sponsors. Several years ago, Archie received a San Luis Obispo County Visitors & Conference Bureau Annual Tourism Award for his conception and presentation of the Wine Classic.
With revenues exceeding $1,000,000, the Central Coast Wine Classic is one of America’s most successful charity wine auctions. The Wine Classic not only promotes the wine, culinary and hospitality industries, it also confers substantive beneficiary proceeds through the Central Coast Wine Classic Foundation, which was created in 2004 to sustain 501(c)3 foundations in San Luis Obispo County and Santa Barbara County whose missions are in the Healing, Performing or Studio Arts. From 2004 through 2014, the Foundation has granted over $2,500,000 to 125 such non-profits. In the Fall of 2010, he was honored by the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors for his Civic and Charitable Contributions to the citizens of San Luis Obispo County, in August of 2012, he was awarded a Certificate of Recognition by the Assembly of the California Legislature for the Central Coast Wine Classic’s donation of $100,000 to the Children’s Resource Network, in July of 2014 he was again recognized by the California State Assembly for his support of Central Coast non-profits, his promotion of the Central Coast Wine Industry and his positive impact on Central Coast Tourism through the Central Coast Wine Classic, and he has just been awarded in April of 2016 an additional Assembly Certificate of Recognition for being chosen as United Cerebral Palsy’s Citizen of the Year for 2016.
Archie has assisted in launching charity auctions in Washington, D.C., Honolulu, Santa Monica, Los Angeles, Mendocino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Ynez and Santa Barbara. His former partner in life, Carissa Chappellet, an owner of Chappellet Winery in the Napa Valley and the winery’s Legal Director & Ambassador, and he have served as Chairs of the WYES Public Television Auction in New Orleans and are frequent donors to and supporters of charitable wine auctions throughout the United States.
In addition, with Brian Talley in 2001, he co-founded the extremely popular World of Pinot Noir, now held at Santa Barbara. In 2007, he directed and was the auctioneer for the Pinot Plus Auction, the Carneros Wine Alliance’s inaugural Carneros Appellation wine and lifestyle tasting and auction, and, although he does not consider himself to be an even remotely functional auctioneer, was auctioneer for the 2007 and 2008 Lake County California Wine Auctions.
Archie is frequently invited to attend tastings of rare and collectible wines throughout the country and has participated in comprehensive vertical tastings of Chateaux d’Yquem, Latour, Mouton Rothschild, Cos d’Estournel, Leoville Las Cases and Cheval Blanc, as well as La Tache, Hermitage La Chapelle, Penfolds Grange, Vega Sicilia Unico, and Beaulieu Vineyards Georges de Latour Private Reserve, among a number of others. A long-time Champagne aficionado who has attended many tastings of rare Champagnes (In 1972, Archie’s long-time friend, “Soul Man” songwriter David Porter turned him on to better sparkling wine than he was drinking at the time, and when Archie moved to California, he took it from there!), he was Founder and Director of the International Festival of Methode Champenoise.
On San Luis Obispo & Santa Barbara Public Radio KCBX, Archie hosted a fine wine program, the Wine Drinker’s Guide to Indulgence for twenty-three years (He continues to host an occasional show, including every year for the results of the California wine grape harvest), and has been a writer on fine wine for Adventures in Dining, the San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune, New Times and Santa Barbara Magazine.
His recent addition of an office and living quarters in downtown Santa Barbara is designed to enhance the demographic audience of the Central Coast Wine Classic, and he has already appeared on a Santa Barbara television show, The Inn Crowd, whose subject is the relationship between fine cuisine and fine wine. A television show on fine wine that he will host is in the initial stages with the goal of airing in early 2016. He is thrilled to note that within four blocks of his Santa Barbara living quarters are restaurants representing a dozen different ethnicities, each an outstanding and accurate representation of its theme, all the way from Himalayan to Creole.
His education includes a Bachelor of Arts degree from Vanderbilt University, a Juris Doctor of Law degree from the University of Memphis, and post-graduate studies in Humanities, English Literature and International Marketing at various universities. He continues to study a variety of subjects, including recently the Evolution of Language, the theories behind the Classical Western European Musical tradition, the History of the Female Influence in Fine Art, World Geology and various Cultural and Evolutionary Anthropological subjects.
Archie McLaren is involved in an array of civic activities, both in the arts and in the community in general. As previously indicated, he has received the San Luis Obispo Visitors & Convention Bureau’s Annual Tourism Award. He has twice served as the President of the Board of Directors of the San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival and as a member of the Board of Directors of the San Luis Obispo County Arts Council.
He served as the President of the Board of Directors of the Avila Beach Water District and the Chairman of the Avila Beach Front Street Enhancement Committee that designed the promenade and park for the rejuvenation of the community of Avila Beach after the discovery and mitigation of the Unocal Oil environmental damage, and for many years was Chairman of the committee that approves new projects for Avila Beach prior to their being approved at the county level.
In order to rebalance the energy and restore the vitality to the community of Avila Beach, a town that was physically and psychologically ripped apart by the Unocal mitigation, he presented Avila Drum Day, a rhythmic happening that was designed to heal the community’s collective psyche. World-renowned percussionists such as Airto Moreira, Walfredo Reyes, and Richie Gajate Garcia, at the behest of Santa Barbara resident Eddie Tuduri, founder of The Rhythmic Arts Project, donated their time and stunning musical abilities to the event. Archie has recently begun contemplating a novel on the subject of Rhythm and Harmonics and their various manifestations.
His many accomplishments over the years he has lived in California have resulted in his inclusion in Who’s Who in Media & Communications, Who’s Who in the West, Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in the World.
Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce
Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce
Special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the excellent farm fresh produce for our show!
All recipes copyright 2018 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved
Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions unless otherwise noted.
Craig Case, Valerie Powdrell, Robin Himovitz, Loy Beardsmore, Michael Hutchings, Christine Dahl
The recent Thomas Fire and the ensuing Montecito Mudslide have wreaked devastation on our town. The loss of life has particularly has been painful and our thoughts and prayers are with all. This show is dedicated to the first responders, support organizations, and individuals that have tirelessly responded to this disaster. This past February, an event was held to benefit first responders and the victims of the fire and debris flow.
More than 3,00 people attended the event at hotel magnates Pat and Ursula Nesbitt's polo estate. One805 Kick Ash Bash honored first responders and raised much-needed funds for emergency equipment and relief efforts. The event was organized by a large contingent of locals and spearheaded by Eric Phillips, Sheila Herman, and Pat Smith. The event has been called Woodstock West and had headliners such as Alan Parsons and Friends, Kenny Loggins, Wilson Phillips, Steve Vai, Richard Marx, The Sisterhood Band, RUBY, David Foster, Katharine McPhee, Dishwalla and Glen Phillips. Dennis Miller of Saturday Night Live fame emceed the event. Katy Perry, local performed made good, made a surprise visit and sang a number of her hits. Other notables attending included Jane Seymour, Ellen DeGeneres, Portia de Rossi, Don Johnson and Billy Baldwin. The event raised about $2,000,000 to benefit the cause.
We were delighted to donate some 20 gallons of classic and vegetarian chilies for the event. Chef Christine Dahl, Christine Dahl Pastries, joined us for this event and made several thousand mini berry tarts and salty turtle cups, much to the delight of the attendees.
View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the airtime may vary as late as 9:30 during the football season. You may view the show online at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.
Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven and get on your apron. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
Photos by Will Conlin, YTS Films
Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce
Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce
Special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!
All recipes copyright 2018 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved
Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions unless otherwise noted.
Chef Michael, Host Craig Case, Sponsor Guy DeMangeon
The 36 annual Taste of the Town was held Sunday, September 10, 2017. I have been participating since 1981 when the event began. This year I prepared two tasting dishes. I offered a vegan style Terrine of Mushroom in an Aspic. Lots of great mushrooms from The Berry Man are presented in an agar-agar bound vegetable broth. The other dish is a mousse of local smoked salmon with a topping of tobiko caviar. We served tastes to over 1,000 guests at this grand event.
Chef Michael Hutchings
View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the airtime may vary as late as 9:30 during the sports season. You may view the show online at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.
Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven and get on your bib apron. I'll provide the recipes, and the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce
Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce
A special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!
The Berry Man Produce Company has generously provided all our wonderful produce for our Taste of the Town dishes we are providing. Many thanks to Guy DeMangeon, Les Clark, Jean-Pierre Jammet and the team for their ongoing support!
We have been busy in The Inn Crowd kitchen filming delicious episodes. I am a few shows in arrears in posting recipes. Stay tuned and past, present and future episode's recipes will be here for you to enjoy in the coming week.
We thank you for tuning in to our show and look forward to sharing many more delicious dishes and wonderful guests.
Last fall, we had the fun opportunity to showcase an episode of The Inn Crowd at the Santa Barbara Harbor and Seafood Festival. The event is an annual event that features the bounty of local seafood harvested by a dedicated cadre of Santa Barbar based fishermen. Out local fishery includes a vast assortment of species, see below.
Sablefish Photo Wikipedia
I decided to use the local black codfish which is sablefish. The codfish is a deep-water species that thrive at depths over 3,000 feet deep. Fishermen layout mile-long lines to harvest the black cod. The fish has a high-fat content and cooks up with large, delicate flakes. I did a Basque-style bell pepper ragout as a foil to the codfish. My assistants, Chris Lesant and Patricia Lamas, assisted in serving some 500 portions to members and friends of the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum. Meanwhile, thousands of attendees enjoyed the seafood bounty from a variety of vendors.
Wikipedia: "The sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) is one of two members of the fish family Anoplopomatidae and the only species in the Anoplopoma genus. In English, common names for it include sable (USA), butterfish (USA), black cod (USA, UK, Canada), blue cod (UK), bluefish (UK), candlefish (UK), coal cod (UK), coalfish (Canada), beshow, and skil(fish) (Canada), although many of these names also refer to other, unrelated, species. In the USA, the FDA accepts only "sablefish" as the Acceptable Market Name; "black cod" is considered a vernacular (regional) name and should not be used as a Statement of Identity for this species. The sablefish is found in muddy sea beds in the North Pacific at depths of 300 to 2,700 m (980 to 8,860 ft) and is commercially valuable to Japan.
From the Web page CFSB, Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara:
"The Santa Barbara Channel is one of the nation's most productive sources of abundant, sustainable and high-quality seafood. Santa Barbara's harbor has over 100 small-boat fishermen who catch 6-10 million pounds of seafood annually, bringing in $30 million in economic benefit to the local community. Our fishermen bring in wild-caught white sea bass, black cod, ling cod, yellowtail, rockfishes, halibut, swordfish, tuna, king salmon, thresher shark, urchin, crab, shrimp, lobster, whelk, sea cucumber - more than 50species in total!
Santa Barbara is also home to eco-friendly farming of oysters, mussels, and abalone. There is also a fishermen direct market every Saturday morning. A handful of fishermen can participate on the City Pier (opposite Brophy's) every Saturday selling crab, shrimp, rockfish, lingcod, black cod, halibut, urchin, abalone (sustainably farmed), and other catch of the day items - with unbeatable prices and unsurpassed freshness and quality."
One of my signature dishes is the local farm raised abalone from The Cultured Abalone. Dough Bush manages the onshore farm that produces the abalone. The red abalone is the variant that they grow from broodstock. It has proven to be the healthiest and fastest growing variety of the seven varieties that inhabit the Santa Barbara Channel. After about three years they are at the market size of about three inches. They are a unique product raised of local seaweed in a very eco-friendly system. See my previous blogs relating to abalone.
The annual Harbor and Seafood Festival is Santa Barbara’s signature Autumn event. Timed with the opening of lobster season, the festival is presented by the City, Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara, Inc., Santa Barbara Harbor Merchants’ Association, and the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum. Festival-goers will meet local fishermen and enjoy fresh lobster, crab, prawns, and other local-caught seafood. Live entertainment and other family-oriented activities round out a full day of fun. Event admission is free. For more festival information, including vendor lists and directions and parking, contact the Harbormaster’s Office at (805) 897-1961 or visit our website atwww.HarborFestival.org.
Date: Saturday, October 13, 2018 Time: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Location: Main Harbor, 132-Harbor Way, Santa Barbara, CA 93109 Admission: Free
View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the airtime may vary as late as 9:30 during the football season. You may view the show online at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.
Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven and get on your bib apron. I'll provide the recipes, and the rest is up to you. See you at the harbor.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce
Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce
Special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the excellent farm fresh produce for our show!
All recipes copyright 2018 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved
Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions unless otherwise noted.
Recognition for Fundraising Chef Michael Hutchings
The Inn Crowd, hosted by Craig Case and Chef Michael Hutchings, is delighted to share an episode at the gala event "Fun with the Force." The event was organized by The Santa Barbara Police Foundation. The foundation is a support group for the local police force. Many of our Inn Crowd veterans were at the event including Police Chief Luhnow, Joyce Farr, Arlene Montesano, Ursula Nesbitt. This is our third year at this event and we are delighted to mention that the special auction-dinner we have donated each year has raised over $150,000 to date for the foundation. On that count, I was delighted and surprised to receive a special recognition for our efforts.
I decided to prepare mini desserts for the evenings offering. More properly called petits fours, we made about 3,000 delicious sweets.The menu included cheesecake, earthquake bites, Linzer torts, mixed nut bars, coconut macarons and raspberry tarts. We prepared some 3,000 pastries for the 600 plus guests and went home empty!
The Foundation supports the Santa Barbara Police Department by raising community awareness and providing needed funds for three primary purposes:
To provide information, resources, and financial support for deceased, injured, disabled or catastrophically ill police officers, or employees, of the Santa Barbara Police Department and their families.
To purchase and donate equipment requested by the officers of the Santa Barbara Police Department to support law enforcement efforts.
To provide financial assistance and access to counseling services for the men and women of the Santa Barbara Police Department, and other first responders of the Tri-County area, as deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors.
Canine Exercise
View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the airtime may vary as late as 9:30 during the football season. You may view the show online at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show. Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven and get on your apron. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen. May the Fun with the Force be with you.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
Chef Michael and Christine Dahl
Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce
Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce
A special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!
All recipes copyright 2017 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved
Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions unless otherwise noted.
We were delighted to once again film an episode of The Inn Crowd at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum. I was one of several chefs participating in a promotion of local seafood. I prepared my version of a Miso Glazed Local Cod. Additionally, back in the studio, I have demonstrated two other winning dishes that are great for food events. I did a Crispy Fried Salmon and Thai Style Chili Mussels. I have also included the tasty Billy Bi Mussel Soup that chef James Sly prepared for the event. The featured mussels were from a local source.
Here is a little history of the museum from the web page. "The building that is currently home of the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM) was built in 1943 as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project and part of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal policies to stimulate the economy. As the building neared completion during World War II, the City of Santa Barbara sold the building to the United States Navy for $1. During the war, the building served as a Navy Training Center, and the Navy built the pier out front, commonly known as the Navy Pier or City Pier. After the war, the building housed the Navy Reserve. Many locals remember playing basketball here, in fact, the original herringbone, maple wood court can now be seen around the base of the new Point Conception Lighthouse Fresnel Lens Exhibit.
In the 1990’s the City of Santa Barbara bought the building back from the U.S. Navy for $2.4 million, and then had to invest another $2 million in ADA upgrades. The Founders of the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum opened its doors in July 2000, fulfilling one of the original purposes of the WPA project, to house maritime artifacts. The building overlooks the Santa Barbara harbor, a 1916 Sea Mew David T. Nidever and the museum’s flagship, a 1917 sportfishing yacht Ranger. SBMM rents this 8,000 square feet space from the City of Santa Barbara’s Waterfront Enterprise Zone."
View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the airtime may vary as late as 9:30 during the football season. You may view the show online at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.
Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven and get on your apron. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
About The Event
James Sly of Sly’s in Carpinteria: His 40 years of restaurant experience has included formal training in Europe, the Hotel Ritz in Paris, working with Michel Guèrard at Règine’s in Paris and New York, and creating Lucky’s in Montecito.
Michael Hutchings of Michael’s Catering: He started his career in the kitchen of Disneyland at the famous private Club 33. He was taught by the Master Chef Rudolph Stoy and worked his way up to become the club’s Executive Chef. He went on to London to work at Le Gavroche, before coming to Santa Barbara to start Michael's Waterside, which was recognized as a leader in contemporary California-French cuisine.
Mossin Sugrich of the Santa Barbara Yacht Club: He is a classically trained chef who attended SBCC Culinary School and helped build the kitchen at Elements, before working as Sous Chef at San Ysidro Ranch. He went on to work at Blush, the Four Seasons and the Belmond El Encanto.
Randy Bublitz of SBCC Culinary Arts Program: He has been at SBCC’s Culinary Arts Program since 1993 and oversees 120 students in the two-year program. He directed SBCC’s first study abroad culinary arts program to Paris, France in 2015, and followed up with a similar program in Rome, Italy this summer.
These chefs will show how to prepare locally caught seafood, which guests will enjoy tastings of along with local wines and craft beers. In addition, guests will meet some of the commercial fishermen who bring the Santa Barbara Channel's bounty to our plates. Proceeds from this event help support programming for both FishSB and the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum.
FishSB is a joint program of Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce that provides critical support for local fisheries to help keep our working waterfront thriving.
For Taste of the Sea program information please contact Kim Selkoe of FishSB at (805) 259-7476 or [email protected].
Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce
Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce
A special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!
All recipes copyright 2017 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved
Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions unless otherwise noted.
This blog is a reprise of an earlier post from a special wine-based dinner I prepared in Avila Beach, Ca and a luncheon in San Louis Obispo. You can view the original posting here. We have filmed the preparation of a part of the dinner menu dishes for an episode of The Inn Crowd and finish up at the Central Coast Wine Classic luncheon. Join Craig Case, host, and that chef, me, Michael Hutchings.
In the course of a culinary career, there are memorable moments such as learning the magic of making a hollandaise sauce or seeing a soufflé rise as expected, watching pommes soufflé puff up and crisp, making feuilletage pastry with its thousand layers as well as constructing a complicated sauce like veal demi-glace. In my formative years working in three-starred Michelin restaurants, I learned that superb ingredients are a vital ally in preparing superior classic cuisine. Chef's like Alain Ducasse claim that sixty percent of a successful dish is influenced by ingredient selection.
That mantra of ingredient-driven cuisine was my guide in planning a recent wine dinner for the Central Coast Classic Rare Wine Dinner. Archie McLaren, chairman of the Central Coast Wine Classic, requested that I prepare a dinner to compliment the wines provided by Don Schliff. The list featured a who's who of the French wine big guns, see the menu below. My challenge was to create a menu that reflected the nature and character of those wines. Unable to have a wine tasting, I relied on tasting notes researched on the internet. Once that was done, it took less than thirty minutes to plan the menu. It's simple in a way but relies on great ingredients cooked accurately.
The first course was my version of a dish done at Le Gavroche in London circa 1980. That, in turn, was a riff from chef Antoine Carême, the master from the late 1800's. Albert Roux, chef-patron of Le Gavroche at the time, discovered that recipe in one of the books written by Carême during Careme's lifetime. Albert had a private library of first edition cookbooks from the 1800s and I was able to borrow them for research. My version of the recipe changed the design and changed deviled quail eggs from a poached egg. The artichoke's hand turned hearts were cooked a blanc in a court bouillon spiked with lemon. The local Santa Barbara Smokehouse salmon I used is a great product.
The scallop dish featured fresh dry pack scallops weighing in at over two ounces each. In the trade, those are called U-8s. I dusted them with flour and seared both sides with a final cooking on the oven. The sauce was a classic chardonnay cream sauce that was finished with a puree of sea urchin roe. This gives the sauce a briny lobster-like finish and we set them on a nest of julienned leeks, carrots and celery root with a crown of tobiko caviar.
A duck breast course followed. Muscovy duck breast, trimmed and brined twelve hours, was seared, cooked with the sous vide method and then seared again to crisp the skin side. I prepared a standard duck demi-glace from some two dozen duck frames reduced down to an essence of four cups. The sauce was finished with cooked, diced foie gras from Hudson Valley and peeled grapes. Yes, I said peeled grapes. I recall the first week I worked at Le Gavroche I was asked to peel grapes. I thought at the time it was a little extreme and still do but we did peel the grapes.
The canon of lamb is the rack cut off the bone. I did a similar sear and sous vide cooking for the lamb. The sauce again was derived from the bones of the rack, demi-glace style. I nested the lamb on a mix of chanterelles and royal trumpet mushroom, cooked Bordelaise style with shallots, garlic, and parsley. Of note were the chanterelles that I got from my dear chef-friend Kurt Grasing, of Grasing's in Carmel by the Sea, California. The mushrooms were harvested in Slovenia and traveled to Oregon, San Francisco, Carmel, Santa Barbara to end up on a plate in Pismo Beach, California.
The beef course of slow braised short ribs was set on a confit of shallots. The base sauce started as the classic veal demi-glace that I learned from the Troisgros restaurant, Roanne, France, when I did a stage there in 1981. Their method did not involve roasting the veal bones but done as more of a fond blanc, white stock. The garnish of haricot vert fine came via my chef-friend James Sly of Sly's in Carpenteria, California. They are extra small and tender and unusual to find. Fondant potatoes have been a mainstay in my repertoire since Albert Roux introduced me to them in 1978. This version of mine adds a topping of potatoes gratin for an additional flavor layer. Carrots were simply sautéed and braised in chicken stock and butter.
Peaches and Chateau d'Yquem wine were made to go together. I made puff pastry, that magic dough, and cooked the peaches using my pastry-chef wife Christine Dahl's method for tart tatin. Basically, a butter-sugar caramel is prepared and placed in a tin, topped with peeled, sliced peaches, topped with a disk of thin puff pastry and baked. I garnished with a peach brandy-spiked caramel sauce and whipped creme fraîche to finish the dish.
We finished with dinner with mignardise, those sweet little nibbles you thought you had no room for. They included chocolate-dipped candied orange peel, hazelnut tuile, coconut macaroons, chocolate earthquakes and crisp palmiers. A special thanks go to my assistant chef Hugo Alvarado in preparing this dinner.
In closing, this was easily amongst the top five dinners I have prepared in my forty-five years of cooking and I must say, it is as rewarding and compelling as is was in the early days of learning the craft of cooking.
Archie McLaren, Founder of the Central Coast Wine Classic
The Inn Crowd Cooking Show
Last August 2017, I had the privilege to be part of the Central Coast wine Event founded by Archie McLaren. This was the 32nd iteration of this event and I have been involved in one guise or another over the years. This is most likely the last year of this event and it was great to work with fellow long-time participants, Chefs Rick Manson and Frank Ostini. All our bios and the event details are below along with the menu and a few recipes. We have filmed this event for an episode of The Inn Crowd cooking show. I think it's a fun episode and gives a great perspective of chefs collaborating on a luncheon for some 300 guests. The menu is below and was designed to compliment a variety of wines that were being offered at the event. I prepared three of my favorite dishes, Caramelized Onion Tart, Farm Raised Abalone with Herb Butter and a Lemon Curd Cake with Berries. The event took place in a private jet hangar and we worked from a typical field kitchen just outside the back door.
View host Craig case and I on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 with ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the airtime may vary as late as 9:30 during the football season. You may view the show online at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.
Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven and get on your apron. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
Rare & Fine Wine & Lifestyle Auction
You may anticipate being in the immediate presence of such remarkable Kinetic Art Forms as Ferrari Enzo, 365GTB4 Daytona and 599GTB Automobiles, as well as a venerable Concours 356SC Porsche and a Bugatti 16.4 Veyron, a Rare Array of the World’s Most Exotic!
The Super Silent Auction will include many Large Format Etched and Hand-Painted Bottles from Magnums to Salmanazars representing the evolution of Unique Blends Created for the Wine Classic over the years. Auction luncheon prepared & presented by Wine Classic’s dynamic & creative family of chefs including Chef Rick Manson of Chef Rick’s, Ultimately Fine Foods, Chef Frank Ostini of the renowned Buellton Hitching Post, & Chef Michael Hutchings of Michael’s Catering in Santa Barbara.
The Annual Fund-A-Need Auction Lot will inure to the benefit of a Non-Profit whose Mission is the Healing Arts.
Caramelized Onion Tart
Grilled Corn Quesadilla
Red Pepper, Onion, Eggplant Crostini
Black Eye Pea Cakes
summer vegetable salad
Cultured Red Abalone, Chardonnay Butter
snipped dill, vine tomatoes
Oak Grilled Beef Tenderloin-Mushroom Sauce
Vegetable Sandwich with Goat Cheese
Lemon Curd Cake and Fresh Berries
peach coulis
Bread
Persona Dramatica
Our dear long-time friend, Chef Michael Hutchings, has been an integral part of the Central Coast Wine Classic since 1992, coordinating and presenting the Vintage Dinner, as well as an integral part of the Dinner at Hearst Castle for well over ten years, always presenting the hors-d'oeuvres for the Champagne reception, sometimes a main course during the Dinner, and again this year an amazing array of superlative such creations for the Champagne Reception. His creations have always been uniformly appropriate and wonderful. We know that you will find them to be so.
Michael is a chef who has paid his dues. Like many other American chefs, he took a job in a restaurant to work his way through college. An accomplished flutist, he planned a musical career. But in the kitchen of Disneyland at the fabled private Club 33, he was taught by the Black Hat Master Chef Rudolph Stoy, and his priorities changed. Michael Hutchings eventually became executive chef of Club 33, then worked under several Los Angeles chefs including James Sly at La Serre (now the owner of Sly’s in Carpinteria), and Jean Grodin, executive chef of L’Orangerie, Los Angeles.
The chef/owner of L’Ermitage, Jean Bertranou, suggested Michael Hutchings go to London to work at Le Gavroche under the Roux Brothers, so in 1978, Michael Hutchings, along with his wife and eight-month-old child, and modest savings, went to London to work at Le Gavroche. The Roux brothers were so impressed with his seriousness and ability that after only a few months they promoted him to sous-chef and told him that when he was ready for a restaurant in the United States they would back him financially in a partnership. Three years later, following brief stages in the kitchens of Alain Chapel, the Troisgros brothers, and Gaston Lenotre, he was ready.
The result was Michael’s Waterside in Santa Barbara. During ten years of operation, Michael’s Waterside was recognized as a leader in contemporary California-French cuisine. After selling the Waterside in 1993, Chef Michael Hutchings hung his toque at the Santa Barbara Polo Club, NationsBank executive dining room, the Tower Club in Charlotte, Kaiser Grill, and St. James in Palm Springs. Now, Chef Michael oversees a food consulting and catering service business in Santa Barbara, California.
Some of the highlights of Michael’s career follow:
Journeyman in Europe with Albert Roux of Le Gavroche Two Star Michelin
Apprenticed in France with Gastone Lenotre, Alain Chapel, Troisgros, Two & Three Star Michelin
Michael’s Waterside listings in Mobile Guide, AAA Guide, Zagat Guide, Gault Millaut Travel Holiday Award 1985 to 1992, award discontinued
Distinguished Restaurant of North America Award 1993
Press credits with Time Magazine, Gourmet Magazine, Bon Appétit, Chocolatiere and others
Guest Chef at Beard House in New York 1986 and 1990
Guest Chef at Ahwanee Hotel in Yosemite National Park
Special Event Coordinator for KCBX public radio at Hearst Castle Historical Monument
Chef Coordinator for Central Coast Wine Auction 1992-1997, dinner for 800 guests
Guest Chef at “Merci Julia” event celebrating Julia’s 80 birthday in 1992
Appeared on “Dinner at Julia’s” video magazine with Julia Child
Charitable fundraising for Red Cross, United Way, Cancer Society, Juvenile Diabetics Cooking video on CNN, NBC, and in France, Germany, and Japan
Julia Child’s 40th Anniversary of PBS Beef Bourguignonne event, 2003
Continuing Guest Chef Central Coast Wine Classic Dinner at Hearst Castle
Chef Host of The Inn Crowd Cooking Show
Thank you, Michael, for your continuing substantive role in our special Wine Classic culinary presentations. It is always a pleasure to have your good energy and expertise as part of our culinary proceedings and to celebrate our 31st Annual Wine Classic and the 25th Annual Dinner at Hearst Castle. All of Those Incredible Repasts to Which You Substantively Contributed Could Not Have Happened Without Your Focused and Gracious Extraordinary Culinary Expertise! Thank You, Michael!
Michael’s Catering 22 West Mission Street Suite G Santa Barbara, California, 93101
Chef Rick Manson
Chef Rick’s Ultimately Fine Foods Santa Maria, California
The Up-Tempo American cooking prepared by one of California Central Coast’s premier chefs, Rick Manson, a long-time friend of the Wine Classic and the community of Avila Beach (At Archie McLaren’s behest, Rick was the Chef for the array of world-class percussionists who were a part of the transcendent Avila Drum Day Healing Percussion Festival in the 1990s!) is a blend of Georgia low country, southern Louisiana, Southwest, and Southern California influences, seasoned with a hint of rhythm and blues, a splash of color, and a touch of irreverence. We welcome Chef Rick again, as he has presented his wondrously flavorful culinary creations for our Auction Luncheon several times, including his remarkable luncheon in 2013.
Chef Rick began earning critical acclaim during his 10-year tenure as executive chef of the King & Prince Hotel on historic St. Simons Island, Georgia. Chef Rick’s Ultimately Fine Foods in Santa Maria, his highly popular restaurant that he closed this past year, consistently earned the “Best Restaurant in Santa Maria” award from the Santa Maria Sun. Central Coast Magazine says “ … thank goodness for something different and intriguing!” Jim Clendenen, of Au Bon Climat Winery in Santa Maria, has said of Rick: “Some people are born into the hospitality industry.”
Chef Rick’s demeanor, his receptiveness, and his smile define that. He is an excellent chef, the consummate host and he always delivers a lagniappe (Cajun for something extra special), which transforms your experience with him into something memorable.’’ Rick was named the 2007 Central Coast Wine Classic’s Culinary Honoree founder Archie McLaren. Selected for his “indefatigable support and enthusiasm in furthering culinary excellence on the Central Coast,” Archie, after whom Chef Rick has named a Creole BBQ Shrimp course, “Archie McLaren’s New Orleans-Style Barbequed Shrimp with Warm Soppin’ Bread,” has said of Rick, “The guy is a Soulful Prince!”
Just to give you an idea of some of Rick’s “favorite things” …
Most engaging and memorable meal: “On Cathy’s and my honeymoon in Paris, I needed a recommendation as to where to take my new wife for her birthday dinner. Our hotel concierge didn’t hesitate a second in suggesting the Michelin 3-star restaurant Tour d’Argent. With a table overlooking Cathedral Notre Dame and the River Seine, from the martinis, “free” hors-d'oeuvres, Kir Royales, pressed duck, and white peach flambé, to Cathy throwing rolls at our dining neighbor (It was a wonderful accident! Bell sleeves, you know!), being our honeymoon and her birthday, it was by far the most memorable meal, ever!”
The other chefs he admires are quote: “My friends Marie Will and Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat Winery are two of the greatest cooks (chefs) I’ve ever known, although they don’t work professionally. Locally (the greater Central Coast) I’ve always admired Laurent Grangien of Bistro Laurent in Paso Robles and I have great respect for my peers who I’ve grown up with that are still “swingin’ their whisks,” including Laurent, Ian McPhee, James Sly, and a few of those young guys, Alphonso Curti of Trattoria Uliveto, Clark Staub of Full of Life Foods, and Anthony Endy of Rooney’s Irish Pub. Nationally, I have always loved the food of Dean Fearing, Emeril Lagasse, and Wolfgang Puck.”
Famous people for whom Rick has prepared meals: Jimmy Carter, Tom Petty, Robin Ventura, Herman Munster, Martha Stewart, Boz Scaggs, Jesse Jackson, Jonathan Winters, Jackson Browne, Robert Mondavi, David Crosby, Horace Grant, Metallica and Jimmy Messina. And Music … This engaging fellow isintoan array of Music! Delta Blues, Zydeco (Queen Ida has dined at his restaurant!), Rock & Roll, Rhythm & Blues, etc. etc. etc. Rhythm, rhythm, rhythm …
We know you will be energized and edified by the richly rhythmic quality of Rick’s unique Central California cuisine during his array of Luncheon courses at the Thirty-First Annual Central Coast Wine Classic Rare & Fine Wine & Lifestyle Auction, especially in the rhythmic symbiotic culinary union with his Dear Friend of ours, Chef Frank Ostini.
Attending and supporting the Central Coast Wine Classic virtually from its beginning, no individual has been more continuously supportive of the Central Coast Wine Classic than Frank Ostini. His donations to the Live Auction alone have over the years raised over one-quarter of a million dollars for the event. Frank is extraordinarily gracious, generous and gregarious when it comes to assisting others, and he does so at a very high level, as The Hitching Post and Hartley-Ostini Wines are held in very high esteem by wine critics, collectors and gourmets alike. Decades prior to the extraordinarily successful film “Sideways,” Frank Ostini was famous among those of us who are his friends for an amazing array of fine food and wine activities.
Frank Ostini grew up in and around the Casmalia Hitching Post, his family’s steakhouse on the Central Coast of California since 1952. Specializing in traditional wood fire barbecue, Frank has expanded his menu to cook most anything over the embers at his Hitching Post II restaurant in Buellton, California. With high acclaim from the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Gourmet and Sunset magazines and enthusiastic support from Chefs Wolfgang Puck and Bobby Flay, Frank has become the regional spokesman for what is popularly known as “Santa Maria Style BBQ,” a feast that features meats grilled over a red oak fire.
Many years ago, Frank expanded his interest in fine wine by being the President of the now historic Central Coast Wine Society. Since 1984 Frank, with partner Gray Hartley, has also made Hitching Post Wines, specializing in Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir. Frank has recently received widespread international attention since his Hitching Post II and Hitching Post Pinot Noirs were featured in the aforementioned Academy Award-winning film Sideways. The winery has 800 barrels and produces about 15,000 cases a year. “When we started to make wine, I had one purpose,” says Frank. “To get good wine on my family restaurant’s table- wine that I produced. Doing the food and wine together is all I ever wanted, and it’s still all I really want to do”
Frank Ostini lives near the restaurant in Buellton with wife, Jami and his two children, Gray and Gabriella. When not in the restaurant or working in the winery, Frank is out promoting Santa Maria Style BBQ and Santa Barbara County Wines at charity events across the country. Speaking of Charity Events, Frank ALWAYS donates his time, his food, his wine and his energy to the Central Coast Wine Classic, and this year is obviously no exception, as his combination offering with his dear friend Jim Clendenen, as always, will be one of the most popular offerings in the Auction.
It is with extreme gratitude that we thank Frank for his many, many contributions to the Central Coast Wine Classic, including presenting the Auction Luncheon on a number of occasions, as well as of course presenting superb meat courses at several Hearst Castle Dinners, including this 31st year. We know that you will be comprehensively edified by the gracious and generous and talented Frank Ostini’s expertise and dynamically and graciously interactive good energy!
What a Superlative Team Duet of Chefs for the Rare & Fine Wine & Lifestyle Auction! As fine as it gets! Ultimately Fine for certain!!!
Hitching Post 406 East Highway 246, Buellton, California (805) 688-0676
Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce
Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce
Special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!
All recipes copyright 2018 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved
Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions unless otherwise noted.
The recent Thomas Fire and the ensuing Montecito Mudslide have wreaked devastation on our town. The loss of life has particularly has been painful and our thoughts and prayers are with all. This show is dedicated to the first responders, support organizations, and individuals that have tirelessly responded to this disaster. We encourage you to support these organization to aid in the recovery and healing of our beloved citizenry.
Craig Case and Chef Michael Hutchings
The Inn Crowd, hosted by producer Craig Case and Chef Michael Hutchings, offers a few dishes of comfort food, much needed in these difficult times as our town grieves and recovers from the disaster. I have prepared four of my favorites, Chicken Pot Pie, Tenderloin Chili, Shepherd's Pie and Pork Scallopini with Apple Cider Sauce and Fresh Noodles. These dishes are nourishing for the body and soul.
View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the airtime may vary as late as 9:30 during the football season. You may view the show online at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.
Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven and get on your apron. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce
Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce
Special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!
All recipes copyright 2018 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved
Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions unless otherwise noted.
Chef Michael, Andria Kahmann, Bob Emmons, Chris Emmons and Craig Case
The Inn Crowd, hosted by producer Craig Case and Chef Michael Hutchings, welcomes local Montectians Chris Emmons, Bob Emmons, and Andria Kahmann. We were delighted to have a session at the Emmons' vintage estate and dine in an elegant dining room paneled with carved English oak from an ancient manor house. I decided on preparing a trio of entrees, reasonably simple to execute. We prepared a mushroom stuffed breast of chicken with morels, a classic pork scaloppini with mustard and a grilled sea bass in a saffron broth.
View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the airtime may vary as late as 9:30 during the football season. You may view the show online at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.
Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven and get on your apron. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce
Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce
Special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!
All recipes copyright 2018 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved
Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions unless otherwise noted.
Thank you to all our loyal Inn Crowd followers. I will be on a winter break until later in the month. Please check back for blogs on new shows at that time. Meanwhile, back at the cooking range, enjoy some of the hundreds of recipes posted over the last four seasons.
We are busy filming season 9 of The Inn Crowd and many more delicious recipes are on the way.
The Inn Crowd, hosted by producer Craig Case with Chef Michael Hutchings welcomes muse from screen and stage, Tab Hunter. Tab Hunter (born Arthur Andrew Kelm; July 11, 1931) is an American actor, pop singer, and author. He has starred in over 40 films and is probably best known as a Hollywood star of the 1950s and 1960s.Tab was a great guest and still has that star quality. We filmed in the kitchens of Ginni and Chad Dreier's estate.
Ginni mentioned that Tab loved Dover sole so I built a menu around that theme. Starting with a Potato and Pesto Soup with a delicious garlic bread, I follow with a classic Sole Muniere and a Sole "Mazarin." The "Fillets de Sole Mazarin" is named after Cardinal Mazarin. Typically, when a name is associated with a French culinary dish, it was an act of flattery. This dish was on the menu in 1978 when I was the sous chef at Le Gavroche in London. Dessert for this episode is a variation of key lime pie. Here is a little history lesson from Wikipedia.
Mazarin succeeded his mentor, Cardinal Richelieu. He was a noted collector of art and jewels, particularly diamonds, and he bequeathed the "Mazarin diamonds" to Louis XIV in 1661, some of which remain in the collection of the Louvre museum in Paris. His personal library was the origin of the Bibliothèque Mazarine in Paris.
Following the end of the Thirty Years' War, Mazarin, as the de facto ruler of France, played a crucial role in establishing the Westphalian principles that would guide European states' foreign policy and the prevailing world order. Some of these principles, such as the nation state's sovereignty over its territory and domestic affairs and the legal equality among states, remain the basis of international law to this day.
View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the airtime may vary as late as 9:30 during the football season. You may view the show online at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.
Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven and get on your apron. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce
Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce
Special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!
All recipes copyright 2018 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved
Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions unless otherwise noted.
I cater therefore I am. This past week, on reflection, has been extraordinary. It began by catering for an engineer that was on the original team that designed the Atlas Rocket. It was the dark ages of computers and the math work was done on slide-rulers.
Atlas is a family of American missiles and space launch vehicles. The original Atlas missile was designed in the late 1950s and produced by the Convair Division of General Dynamics, to be used as an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). It was a liquid propellant rocket burning liquid oxygen and RP-1 fuel in three engines configured in an unusual "stage-and-a-half" or "Parallel Staging" design: its two outboard booster engines were jettisoned during ascent, while its center sustainer engine, propellant tanks and other structural elements were retained through orbital insertion (for orbital flights).
Also, at a private dinner, one of the guests was Nancy Pelosi. The menu had an Italian flair. Ms. Pelosi reportedly said that she had a dream about the Osso Bucco.
To cap it off, we filmed an episode of The Inn Crowd cooking show with the iconic Tab Hunter. Ginni Dreier hosted the show at her hilltop estate. See my later post about that show, the first of our winter 2017-18 season.
Tab Hunter (born Arthur Andrew Kelm; July 11, 1931) is an American actor, pop singer and author. He has starred in over 40 films and is probably best known as a Hollywood star of the 1950s and 1960s.
The Central Coast Wine Classic's thirty-second annual event took place this past week at the ACI private jet terminal in San Louis Obispo, CA. In collaboration with myself, Michael Hutchings, and chefsRick Manson and Frank Ostini, we prepared a luncheon for some three hundred guests attending the Rare and Fine Wine & Lifestyle Auction Luncheon. It was great to work once again with my fellow chefs as we have been involved with the CCWC since the earliest days of its inception. The challenge for the chefs is to cook and serve three-hundred participants in a field kitchen next to a jet hanger actively service the jet set. The aromas of black eye pea cakes, abalone, grilled beef tenderloin, lemon curd cake intermingled with burning aviation fuel and fine wines swirling in crystal glasses make for a heady experience.
Archie McLaren has been the maestro conducting this extravaganza since its inception. Here is the web page's description of the event: "The Super Silent Auction will include many Large Format Etched and Hand-Painted Bottles from Magnums to Salmanazars representing the evolution of Unique Blends Created for the Wine Classic over the years. Auction luncheon prepared & presented by Wine Classic’s dynamic & creative family of chefs including: Chef Rick Manson of Chef Rick’s, Ultimately Fine Foods, Chef Frank Ostini of the renowned Buellton Hitching Post, & Chef Michael Hutchings of Michael’s Catering in Santa Barbara.The Annual Fund-A-Need Auction Lot will inure to the benefit of a Non-Profit whose Mission is the Healing Arts."
I am delighted to have been asked to judge a chili cook off for the Navy League of the United States. First responders will compete for a perpetual trophy and bragging rights. Join me at this event that benefits the good work done by the Navy League. Be prepared to enjoy four alarm chili!
Chef Michael Hutchings
"The Navy League of the United States is a non-profit organization that has provided moral support, recognition and family support to personnel in the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and the U.S.- FlagMerchant Marine for over 100 years. The Navy League is unique among military-oriented associations in that it is a civilian organization dedicated to the education of our citizens, including our elected officials, and the support of the men and women of the sea services and their families.
The Navy League is a morale-enhancing organization comprised of 65,000 patriotic civilians in 250 councils worldwide who volunteer their time to give members of the sea services the support and recognition they deserve.
The Santa Barbara Navy League sponsors local ship visits and provides activities for visiting crews while in port. The organization has adopted the local U.S. Coast Guard Cutter BLACKFIN and local Marine Safety Detachment, as well as America 's newest aircraft carrier USS RONALD REAGAN (CVN 76). You need not have served in the military to be a member of the Navy League."
You are cordially invited to attend
2017 US Coast Guard Chili Cook Off
Thursday, September 14, 2017
5:00 p.m. - Sunset
at the scenic Hope Ranch Beach
1475 Las Olas Drive
This competition will be HOT - Literally!
Special guest-star judges,
Beverages, laughter, and friends,
And Of Course, DELICIOUS CHILI!
Space is limited:
You must be on guest list to enter Hope Ranch Beach gate.
Reports of my death are highly exaggerated! As well, reports that I have purchased Downey's restaurant are highly exaggerated. Consider this plausible deniability.
My ideal of a restaurant would be a popup style, one or two days a month. I am, in fact considering doing just that on a very limited basis this fall. Let that simmer in the rumor mill. I did my restaurant penance for some ten years at 100 hours per week.
Chef Michael Hutchings LIVE at Taste of the Town 2017 Taste of the Town - Santa Barbara, CA
Sunday, September 10, 2017
Riviera Park Gardens
The ultimate epicurean adventure in Santa Barbara benefiting the Arthritis Foundation!
Enjoy an afternoon at Santa Barbara’s original tasting event featuring the area’s finest wineries, breweries, restaurants and caterers.
2017 Taste of the Town Santa Barbara
An Arthritis Foundation Event Honoring the Legacy of Michael Towbes
Sunday September 10, 2017 Riviera Park Gardens
Noon - 3 PM
I will be participating in the 35th annual Taste of the Town event this coming September. I have participated since its inception in 1981. Over the years of participating I have offered a wide range of delicious palette pleasers. Come to the event and see what we are cooking up this year.
In my previous blog I mentioned that chef John Downey was retiring and has sold his restaurant after some 35 years of serving great food in Santa Barbara. Doing so reminded me of how I got to Santa Barbara in 1981. At that time, I had just returned from three years in Europe working at Le Gavroche in London. I returned in April and set about looking for a chef position to use my newly acquired skills from the three starred Michelin restaurant where I has honing my culinary skills.
After an intensive three month search, I got a call from a foreign sounding gentleman from Santa Barbara. It was Paul Vercammen, owner of The Olive Mill Bistro. Our initial interview was a Michael's restaurant in Santa Monica. We chose that location as it was half way between Santa Barbara and San Clemente where I was living. Paul offered me a job and I went to see the restaurant and observe the service.
I was taken back by the style and culinary level, but keep in mind I was at some of the best restaurants in the world while I was in Europe. The reason Paul wanted to hire me was that there was a new restaurant in town that was shaking the old order up. The new restaurant was Penelope's adjacent to the Andre Clark Bird Refuge. The chef was John Downey and he was cooking a new style called Nouvelle Cuisine, sort of free style California-French that was the rage in Los Angeles at places such as L'Ermitage, L'Orangerie, La Serre, Michael's, La Toque, Stars and Chez Panisse to name a few.
So, in my own convoluted way, it has occurred to me that my career was impacted by the talented English chef, John Downey, who raised the bar on fine dining in Santa Barbara. The really odd twist was that I bought Penelope's partnering with Chef Albert Roux of Le Gavroche fame. We opened in 1984 and ran for ten years but that is another story.
Chef Michael Hutchings of Michael's Catering Cooks for Fiesta
The Inn Crowd
The Inn Crowd at the Carriage Museum
Tom Peterson, Peter Giorgi, Chef Michael Hutchings, David Bolton, Rhonda Henderson, Host Craig Case
The Inn Crowd, hosted by producer Craig Case with Chef Michael Hutchings welcomes La Presidente Rhonda Ledson Henderson and David Bolton to The Inn Crowd kitchen. The episode was filmed at the Carriage Museum in Santa Barbara in the tack room. For the menu, I planed my version of upscale "rancho food." First course is a chili relleños filled with Monterey jack cheese, mushrooms and huitlecoche set on a rancho sauce. The ranch sauce is also used on the famed Huevos rancheros. Unlike most chili relleños, the topping was a cilantro infused bread crumb. I like it as it is lighter and easier to make. The poblano chilies have enough spice to make them interesting without blistering the tongue. For the main course I fired up the BBQ to grill pomegranate-marinated lamb cutlets with a "sarsa" sauce. More typically, a boned leg of lamb would be used but heh, they must have eaten the lamb cutlets as well. Dessert was a simple assembly of Mexican wedding cookies, puercuitos and fresh berries. Puercuitos means little pigs and has nothing at all to do with the namesake. They are in fact like a gingerbread cookie. Join us at the Carriage Museum in the Saddle Room with guests in period costumes.
David Bolton is the Press Chair for Old Spanish Days, Inc., having served on the board since January, 2015. David’s responsibilities on the board have include chairing Primavera and Parade Marshals. He serves on various other OSD committees including Fiesta Pequeña, History and Archiving, and Parade Committee. David is also on the board for the California Missions Foundation.
"The California Missions Foundation is a nonprofit public benefit corporation dedicated to preserving the landmark California Missions and associated historical and cultural resources for the benefit of the public through funding preservation activities and facilitating educational programs, conferences, and scholarship."
Rhonda Ledson Henderson & Chef Michael Hutchings
Rhonda Ledson Henderson is La Presidente for Old Spanish Days, Inc., having served on the board since 2006. Henderson’s responsibilities on the Board have included officer positions of La Primera Vice Presidente, La Segunda Vice Presidente, and La Tesorera, as well as chairing Fiesta Ranchera, Fiesta Flower Girls, El Recepción del Presidente, Ground Lease/Facilities, and Board Designated Restricted Funds. Ms. Henderson has also actively been involved with La Primavera, Rodeo, various Administrative sub-committees, and Strategic Planning.
Celebrating since 1924, fiesta has it all, parades, Mercado food court, rodeo, entertainment and did I say food! I have prepared a rancho inspired menu with my unique twist. We cooked on the wood-fired BBQ at the Carriage Museum.
Carriage Museum.The Carriage and Western Art Museum of Santa Barbara was founded in 1972 and is located in Pershing Park near the waterfront in Santa Barbara, CA. The collection consists of over 50 saddles once belonging to famous people, such as Cisco Kid, Will Rogers, Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart and many others. Carriages you will see in the collection are mud wagons, army wagon, circus wagon, and more.
Proclamación de la Presidente 201
For 93 years, since the first “Old Spanish Days” in 1924, Fiesta has been a celebration of the rich history that makes Santa Barbara such a special place. Annually, the experiences shared during Fiesta serves as a uniting force in our community.
Throughout the years, there has been the respectful recognition and steadfast reverence of the traditions born of its origins. The traditions of civility and dignity harken back to a time when life was difficult and often uncertain. Joy was found in the simplest of things. Celebrations often arose from the arrival of visitors, whether family, friends or those merely passing through town. It was truly a Fiesta!
As a fifth generation Californian whose family arrived as immigrants and established a dairy farm on the Rancho Los Osos during the time of the Great Rancho period, I am deeply humbled this year to serve our amazing community as La Presidente. My passion for the beauty and traditions that Old Spanish Days Fiesta celebrates knows no boundaries.
With our 2017 theme, Unity through Community, I am honored to pay homage to one of Fiesta’s greatest champions through the years, the late Father Virgil Cordano, O.F.M. He was the embodiment of unity through community, and it showed in every aspect of his life. Father Virgil’s legacy is the positive impact his actions had on Old Spanish Days Fiesta and our community; which continues to this day.
Lastly, I invite you to step away from the complexities of modern day life and allow yourself to be transported back to a magnificent period in our rich history. Take in the sights of the many performances representing traditions from many of Santa Barbara’s cultural influences. Immerse yourself in beautiful music. Most of all, experience the joy that the thousands of participants, volunteers, and community members openly share during Fiesta. Enjoy a little of our inheritance from old California.
Viva la Fiesta - Viva la Comunidad!
Rhonda Ledson Henderson La Presidente, 2017
View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the air time my vary to as late as 9:30 during the football season. You may view the show on-line at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.
Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven and get on your apron. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen and be sure and tie up your horse well.
Luke Swetland, Host Craig case, Chef Michael Hutchings
We just participated in the 30th Wine and Food Festival held at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. I have been there most of those 30 years. This year I went into hyper-culinary mode and offered a duet of short rib meatballs in a cabernet veal demi glace and local farmed abalone with chardonnay butter. Serving over 1000 tastes was not a light task. Preparing the abalone was an eight hour labor that included some 15,000 whacks with the tenderizing mallet! Here is a link to a video I made for The Cultured Abalone farm that raises the abalone that I used. The meatballs were relatively easy as they are just scooped and formed into bite-sized morsels. I used some 45 pounds of short ribs in the process.
The event is the basis for one of our The Inn Crowd shows. We made it into Richard Mineards' weekly social report in The Montecito Journal as well as a spot on the local Fox 11 affiliate. It's always nice to be noticed.
View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the air time my vary to as late as 9:30 during the football season. You may view the show on-line at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.
Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven and get on your apron. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen and be sure and get in joking range.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
P.S. Joyce mentioned a fable steak preparation from Chasen's, a Hollywood restaurant legend. I managed to find a recipe in one of my cookbooks.
From Wikipedia:
Photo Wikipedia June 1987
Chasen's was a restaurant frequented by entertainers in West Hollywood, California. Located at 9039 Beverly Boulevard on the border of Beverly Hills, it first opened for business in 1936 and was the site for many years of the Academy Awards party. It was also famous for its chili. In 1962 while filming in Rome, for example, Liz Taylor had several orders of Chasen’s chili flown to the set of Cleopatra.
We just participated in the 30th Wine and Food Festival held at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. I have been there most of those 30 years. This year I went into hyper-culinary mode and offered a duet of short rib meatballs in a cabernet veal demi glace and local farmed abalone with chardonnay butter. Serving over 1000 tastes was not a light task. Preparing the abalone was an eight hour labor that included some 15,000 whacks with the tenderizing mallet! Here is a link to a video I made for The Cultured Abalone farm that raises the abalone that I used. The meatballs were relatively easy as they are just scooped and formed into bite-sized morsels. I used some 45 pounds of short ribs in the process.
The event will be the basis for one of our The Inn Crowd shows. A later blog will have details and recipes. In the meantime, we made it into Richard Mineards' weekly social report in The Montecito Journal. It's always nice to be noticed.
The Inn Crowd, hosted by producer Craig Case with Chef Michael Hutchings presents a trip to the Santa Barbara Fishermans Market. I visited fisherman Paul Teall who operates a vintage fishing vessel, the "Sal-C" which was originally owned by Salvatore Castignola some 70 years ago. Paul fishes the water off San Miguel Island in the Santa Barbara channel. It is a six hour trip to get out there and he usually stays about four days, getting back in time for the SB Fish Market on Saturday mornings on the dock in the harbor area of Santa Barbara.
What caught my eyes were the fantastically fresh vermillion rock fish, ling cod, red and brown rock crabs. Paul also had a bonus fish, octopus. They were an incidental catch and on of my favorite seafoods.
I decided to make a Santa Barbara version of Cioppino, preceeded by a mushroom flatbread and s dessert featuring peaches.
View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the air time my vary to as late as 9:30 during the football season. You may view the show on-line at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.
Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven and get on your apron. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce
Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce
A special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!
All recipes copyright 2017 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved
Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions, unless otherwise noted.
Chef Michael, Ryan and Jessica Carr, Host Craig Case
The Inn Crowd, hosted by producer Craig Case with Chef Michael Hutchings presents a day at the Carr Winery. Ryan and Jessica Carr graciously invited us into their winery to tape a delicious edition of The Inn Crowd. Ryan Carr is the owner, winemaker and grower for Carr Vineyards & Winery. Growing up in Southern California Ryan always had an interest in farming, but never expected he would end up in the wine industry. After graduating from the University of Arizona with an Art degree, Ryan moved to Santa Ynez Valley in California where he discovered the wine industry. With just a taste of some of the local wines he decided to pursue a career in viticulture. He began working in the fields pruning vines with one of the local vineyard management companies.
The menu is wine centric and starts with seared scallops on a smooth gazpacho soup. The main course is a stuffed pork chops set on flash fried spinach and an apple scented demi glace. Dessert features a Pannacotta with fresh fruits and a coconut sable cookie.
View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the air time my vary to as late as 9:30 during the football season. You may view the show on-line at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.
Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven and get on your apron. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce
Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce
A special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!
All recipes copyright 2017 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved
Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions, unless otherwise noted.
The Inn Crowd, hosted by producer Craig Case and Chef Michael Hutchings presents "Two Guys in the Kitchen." Craig Case joins me like the classic teams of Abbot and Costello, Laurie and Hardy and half the Marx Brothers. We were thinking of Fathers Day when we planned this episode. We filmed in my kitchen, former home of the Flying A Movie Studies circa 1910. In that era, is was ground zero for silent pictures.
Wikipedia: "In August 1912, Flying "A" Studios established its western branch in Santa Barbara. Prior to this, three shooting companies were created. Two would work at the studio or surrounding locales of Chicago, while it was the third unit that was sent out to concentrate on westerns. This western unit would move through the southwest with stops in New Mexico, Arizona and finally California.
The third unit would eventually settle in the town of La Mesa before moving Northwest to Santa Barbara. California was chosen for its sunny weather, and to avoid the constraints of the "Edison Trust" (i.e., The Motion Picture Patents Company or MPPC) operating in Chicago and New York. The main reason for choosing Santa Barbara before La Mesa was that the American Film Company wanted to have urban backdrops in some of its movies.
During its operation between 1912 and 1917, Flying "A" Studios was one of the largest motion picture studios in the United States. At the time, this made Santa Barbara a filmmaking center rivaled only by Hollywood."
We, however, decided to make a "talkie.". The menu started with a riff on General Tso's Chicken except I made it with shrimp and used a designer cauliflower instead of broccoli. Main course had to be a NY Steak with a flourish of blue cheese butter, fingerling potatoes and braised Tuscan kale with pearl onions. Dessert played off of peanut butter and jelly, my way.
View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the air time my vary to as late as 9:30 during the football season. You may view the show on-line at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.
Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven and get on your apron. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
Steak Cooking Tips
Before any of the following tips, buy great steaks, preferable prime grade.
1. Bring meat to room temperature
Take the steak out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature about an 30-45 before you cook it.
2. Use a thickly cut steak
One-and-a-half to two inches ensures that your steak will achieve the good char on the outside and desired temperature on the inside.
3. Salt and season well
A few hours to overnight before you cook the meat, lightly sprinkle both sides of the steak with salt and pepper; put it on a wire rack set on a rimmed baking sheet. The salt helps the cells retain water, guaranteeing juicy meat. Before cooking, pat dry with paper towels, and generously salt the meat again. (Use kosher salt; the bigger grains make for a superior crust.)
4. Use freshly cracked black pepper
You want a combination of fine, medium, and big pieces. To achieve this, pour whole peppercorns in a resealable plastic bag and crush them with a heavy skillet or tenderizing mallet.
5. For BBQ, use a high and low heat in two zones
You want a hot side to sear the meat and a less hot side to finish the cooking. Either set you pass grill to two temperatures or distribute your charcoals for the same effect.
6. Test the Heat
How do you know when the coals are ready? Once the flames have died down and the coals are glowing orange, use the 2-2 rule: Put your hand two inches above the hottest part of the coals. If you can hold it there for two seconds—no more, no less—you're good to grill. Or, use a heat sensing “gun” to read the temperatures.
7. Control Flare Ups
Dripping fat on hot coals will char the steak. To get that steak out the flareup, use tongs to slide it to the lower temperature zone until the flames subside.
8. Use real hardwood charcoal
Hardwood lump charcoal burns hotter and faster than manufactured briquettes.
9. Don't Guess—Use a Thermometer
A temperature of 125 degrees means medium-rare. Instant-read thermometers guarantee you'll get it right.
10. Let the Meat Rest
Ten minutes of resting does wonders for a steak—no foil tent needed. Fibers relax. Juices spread and flavors retained.
Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce
Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce
A special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!
All recipes copyright 2017 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved
Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions, unless otherwise noted.
Seated: Chef Michael Hutchings, Chef Christine Dahl, Chef Randy Bublitz, Earl Armstrong, Host Craig Case
Standing: Marisol Aguirre, Marcelo Chacon, Ralph Lowi
The Inn Crowd, hosted by producer Craig Case and Chef Michael Hutchings brings The Inn Crowd cooking show to the Santa Barbara City College. Our special guest is Earl Armstrong. A native Santa Barbarian, Earl Armstrong is the founder and current president and board chair of Armstrong Associates, Inc., a general contracting company specializing in commercial, health care, and custom residential construction. Earl is very engaged in the Santa Barbara community, and currently serves as the board president of the SBCC Foundation. He is also on the board of Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital Foundation, serving as chairman of the board from 2002-2005, in addition to returning as chair in 2015 for the grand opening of the new Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital. He is a past board member and chair of the Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce; a past board chair of Hillside House; a past board member and vice chair of Santa Barbara Unity Shoppe; and a past board member of the Montecito Retirement Association.
Chef/Director of the School of Culinary Arts and Hotel Management, Randy Bublitz, selected three students to be part of a master class. Marisol Aguirre, Marcelo Chacon, Ralph Lowi, aspiring chefs, assisted myself in preparing a very classic French style menu. I might add that I am delighted to be an adjunct professor and teach advanced pastry at the college.
The first course was a riff on the dessert called Pithivier. In this case, the filling was a savory pate of duckling served with a duck demi glace spiked with mustard and French pickles.
The main course harkened back to a restaurant near Condrieu, France, called the Beau Rivage. In 1978, I did a week-long stint in the kitchen. The family meal one day was a whole stuffed turbot with crayfish. I have replicated this dish using local halibut.
The finale was created by chef Christine Dahl (my wife and source for many of my dessert dishes). Chef Dahl prepared her fabulous Sea Shell Cake, very popular in this seaside town of Santa Barbara.
View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the air time my vary to as late as 9:30 during the football season. You may view the show on-line at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.
Put on your apron, grab your whisk and your piping bag, fire up the oven and get on your apron. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce
Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce
A special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!
All recipes copyright 2017 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved
Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions, unless otherwise noted.
Lisa Douglas, Denise Sedowsky, Anne Anderson Arlene Montesanol Chef Michael Hutchings, Ursula Nesbitt, Karla Blackwell, Andrea Kahman
Chef Michael Hutchings prepares a gala dinner for the Santa Barbara Police Foundation. Hosted by Craig Case, the dinner features "The ladies in Red" serving invited guests. The dinner was the results of a very successful auction in the fall of 2016. The gala was held at a grand old estate in Montecito, California. For the menu, I borrowed heavily from chefs I have read about, worked for or observed during my formative years. Chefs Antoine Carême, Albert Roux, Frédy Girardet and Michel Richard are reflected in this retrospective menu.
The Foundation supports the Santa Barbara Police Department by raising community awareness and providing needed funds for three primary purposes:
To provide information, resources, and financial support for deceased, injured, disabled or catastrophically ill police officers, or employees, of the Santa Barbara Police Department and their families.
To purchase and donate equipment requested by the officers of the Santa Barbara Police Department to support law enforcement efforts.
To provide financial assistance and access to counseling services for the men and women of the Santa Barbara Police Department, and other first responders of the Tri-County area, as deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors.
Chef Frédy Girardet
Chef Michael Richard
Chef Albert Roux
Chef Marie-Antoine Carême
View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the air time my vary to as late as 9:30 during the sports season. You may view the show on-line at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.
Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven and get on your apron. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce
Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce
A special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!
All recipes copyright 2017 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved
Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions, unless otherwise noted.
Chef Michael Hutchings and Host Craig Case welcome Santa Barbara's Chief of Police, Lori Luhnow, to the kitchen of The Inn Crowd. Chief Lori is an advocate of the paleo style of dining so that became the theme for this episode. The first course of Tenderloin Carpaccio, with a mustard sauce and arugula, was the first salvo. Rainbow trout stuffed with fennel and set on a ragout of mini bell peppers was the main course. Dessert, a challenge in Paleo style, uses almonds and walnuts in a delightfully light cake. I couldn't resist a few berries and raspberry sauce for the chef's touch.
Here is a brief overview of this style of dining from Wikipedia. "The Paleolithic diet (also called the paleo diet, caveman diet or stone-age diet) is based mainly on foods presumed to have been available to Paleolithic humans. Wide variability exists in the way the diet is interpreted. However, the diet typically includes vegetables, fruits, nuts, roots, meat, and organ meats while excluding foods such as dairy products, grains, sugar, legumes, processed oils, salt, and alcohol or coffee. The diet is based on avoiding not just modern processed foods, but rather the foods that humans began eating after the Neolithic Revolution when humans transitioned from hunter-gatherer lifestyles to settled agriculture. The ideas behind the diet can be traced to Walter Voegtlin, and were popularized in the best-selling books of Loren Cordain."
View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the air time my vary to as late as 9:30 during the sports season. You may view the show on-line at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.
Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven and get on your apron. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce
Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce
A special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!
All recipes copyright 2017 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved
Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions, unless otherwise noted.
The Inn Crowd, hosted by producer Craig Case and Chef Michael Hutchings welcomes business women and socialite Nina Terzian to The Inn Crowd kitchen. We taped the show at her stunning seaside estate in Montecito, California. Nina's request was that we prepare a seafood oriented menu to reflect the location. I selected a trio of salmon dishes from restaurants that I trained at in France during my European era. The Pres Catalan, Paris, Alain Chapel, Mionnay, and Troisgros in Roanne are featured. Nina dubbed the trio of salmon dishes "The Salmon Run." Dessert is a must and we prepared a spectacular "Crepamisu" dish inspired by the Italian dessert Tiramisu.
View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the air time my vary to as late as 9:30 during the football season. You may view the show on-line at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.
Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven and get on your apron. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
Chef Alain Chapel's Salmon Mille Feuille
Chef Gastone Lenotre's Salmon Marguerite
Troisgros' Salmon Escalope with Sorrel Sauce
Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce
Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce
A special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!
All recipes copyright 2017 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved
Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions, unless otherwise noted.
Chef Michael, Audrey Hutchings, Irma Case, Host Craig Case
Chef Michael Hutchings Host Craig Case
The Inn Crowd, hosted by producer Craig Case and Chef Michael Hutchings, are delighted to present an episode with our respective mothers in honor of Mother's Day. We are delighted to cook for my mom, Audrey Hutchings and Craig's Mom, Ira Case. I decided to prepare my version of dishes that we grew up enjoying (except the oysters).
We started with my version of oyster stew as prepared at the Grand Central Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station, New York. The Sweet and Sour beef was my mom's mom's recipe, although she used a less expensive cut of beef (it was during the Great Depression after all). Finally, we cooked my mother's cheese cake. As was the tradition as kids, we had a whole cheese cake to ourselves!
Many thanks to our moms, who prepared countless meals for us as kids and the million unsung acts to get us to adulthood. Cheers!
View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the air time my vary to as late as 9:30 during the football season. You may view the show on-line at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.
Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven and get on your apron. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen. Remember your mom on Mother's Day.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
Chef Michael, Audrey Hutchings, Irma Case, Host Craig Case
Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce
Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce
A special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!
All recipes copyright 2017 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved
Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions, unless otherwise noted.
The Inn Crowd, hosted by producer Craig Case and Chef Michael Hutchings, is delighted to present an episode with Luke Swetland, president of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Luke presides over the 101 year old museum nestled in a woodland and riparian creek setting in the foothills of Santa Barbara.
From the web page:
In January 2016, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History celebrated 100 years of serving the Santa Barbara community. The Museum was founded in 1916 by William Leon Dawson as the Museum of Comparative Oology. In 1922, thanks to Miss Caroline Hazard and Mrs. Rowland Gibson Hazard, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History opened its doors at the current campus. In 1987, the Museum added the Sea Center on Stearns Wharf as an off-campus facility focused specifically on our regional coastal and ocean environment.
ONE organizaton, TWO campuses
Mission Canyon Campus:2559 Puesta del Sol, Santa Barbara, CA 93105 A cluster of Spanish Revival-style buildings comprising 87,000 s.f. of space, set on 17 acres of riparian oak woodland along Mission Creek.
Sea Center: 211 Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 A modern 6,000 s.f. building located on historic Stearns Wharf, built on wharf space leased from the City of Santa Barbara.
We planned to dine al fresco in the woodland setting of the museum so I planned a spring-like menu. A trip to the local Santa Barbara Farmers Market and my produce supplier, The Berry Man, supplied an abundance of local ingredients for the menu. Starter is a salad featuring local artichokes in a spicy orange and pistachio oil dressing. Channel halibut anchored the main course with jumbo asparagus and young leeks. Dessert had a lavender whipped cream riff ensconced between shortbread layers and fresh local berries.
View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEYT channel 3. Please note that the air time my vary to as late as 9:30 during the football season. You may view the show on-line at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.
Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven and get on your apron. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen and maybe the museum.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce
Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce
A special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!
All recipes copyright 2017 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved
Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions, unless otherwise noted.
The Inn Crowd, hosted by producer Craig Case and Chef Michael Hutchings, is delighted to present an episode with the our producer/host, Craig Case. We decided it was time for him to get cooking.
The menu is French picnic classics. Have a look below for some delicious, portable recipes.
View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the air time my vary to as late as 9:30 during the football season. You may view the show on-line at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.
Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven and get on your apron. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce
Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce
A special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!
All recipes copyright 2017 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved
Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions, unless otherwise noted.
The British use lavender on their closets to keep moths away. I have loftier culinary uses. Last Tuesday's farmers market in Santa Barbara yielded some very fragrant lavender. I used some for a berry shortcake on my show The Inn Crowd (more on that closer to air time).
With the rest I made my lavender creme brulée for an upcoming private dinner party with a Monet theme. Lacking lavender, use vanilla beans instead.
The Inn Crowd, hosted by producer Craig Case and Chef Michael Hutchings, is delighted to present an episode with the businessman and winery owner Wayne Siemens and his wife Sherol in Santa Barbara, CA. Wayne and Sherol own the JCR Winery in Santa Barbara County. The vineyards are nestled in the hills of Jalama Cañon Ranch and boasts 5.5 acres of high quality pinot noir and chardonnay. The micro climate produces wines unique to the location. We were delighted to pair the wines with a menu of Mushroom Stuffed Salmon Fillet on Green Lentils, Rack of Lamb Gremoulata and a Crêpe with Caramelized Apples and Calvados Butter.
View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the air time my vary to as late as 9:30 during the football season. You may view the show on-line at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.
Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven and get on your apron. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
From Wikipedia:
Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce
Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce
A special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!
All recipes copyright 2017 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved
Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions, unless otherwise noted.
Recently my wife and I attended a performance of a Chinese dance troupe called Shen Yun. It was a great show with spectacular staging and choreography. The kicker was I was selected for an interview by a US based Chinese-oriented cable service.
Does anyone speak Mandarin? Maybe the next The Inn Crowd show will be from China!
Barry De Vorzon, Chef Michael, Jelinda De Vorzon, Host Craig Case
The Inn Crowd, hosted by Craig Case and Chef Michael Hutchings, is delighted to present an episode with the legendary composer Barry De Vorzon and his wife Jelinda in Santa Barbara, CA. The De Vorzons enjoy Mexican style cuisine so I delved into my south-of-the border repertoire. Come join us while we prepare Blue Corn Tortilla Soup, Chile Rellenos with Seafood and an unusual Pineapple tamale with Chocolate sauce. Join us for the first show of our new Inn Crowd cooking season.
Barry ends the show with a special treat!
View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the air time my vary to as late as 9:30 during the football season. You may view the show on-line at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.
Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven and get on your apron. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
From Wikipedia:
Barry De Vorzon(born July 31, 1934, New York City) is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and composer. His earliest hit compositions were "Just Married" (1958), written with Al Allen and recorded by Marty Robbins, which reached number twenty-six on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 chart and number one on the Country chart; and "Dreamin'" (1960), written with Ted Ellis, recorded by Johnny Burnette, and charting at number eleven on the Hot 100. Dorsey Burnette (whom he was managing) and De Vorzon co-wrote several of Dorsey's hits ("Hey, Little One"; "Big Rock Candy Mountain"; "Red Roses"; "Noah's Ark").
De Vorzon founded Valiant Records in 1960. During the 1960s he signed the Association to Valiant, and produced its first single, a cover of the Bob Dylan tune "One Too Many Mornings."
De Vorzon wrote "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight" for the Cascades, but the group did not record it. In 1963, De Vorzon recorded the song himself, with his group Barry and the Tamerlanes. Also in 1963 he co-wrote the ballad "Shy Girl" which was recorded by the Cascades.
De Vorzon also composed the tune "It's Christmas Once Again in Santa Barbara," which was re-recorded with various other city names, such as San Francisco and San Diego. He also wrote the "Theme from S.W.A.T.", and co-wrote the Eagles' hit "In the City" with Joe Walsh. In 1979 he wrote the music for the movie The Warriors.
He is also one of the developers of the MasterWriter creative software for songwriters and lyricists.
Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce
Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce
A special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!
All recipes copyright 2017 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved
Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions, unless otherwise noted.
